


Nightly

by Accio_Me



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Angst, Betrayal, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Happy Ending, Harry Potter Deserves Better, James Potter & Lily Evans Potter Live, Love, Sirius Black is James and Lily Potter's Secret Keeper
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:47:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24962521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Accio_Me/pseuds/Accio_Me
Summary: It all started with a lonely patrol through Hogwarts castle...
Relationships: James Potter & Lily Evans Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black & James Potter
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. Nightly Findings

**Author's Note:**

> First, this one a one-shot. Then it got a second chapter. And now I'm working on the next few, so... I wasn' ready to let this go yet! It won't have 30 chapters, but more than two :D

**Nightly Findings**

He sighed for the third time within the last minute. He was bored.

He had been wandering around the castle for what felt like at least four hours already and he had yet to catch a rogue student creeping around on school grounds in the middle of the night. He hadn’t even managed to catch one single snogging couple yet. How bad was that? And how rare was that? Now that he thought about it, it had never happened before. Snogging couples hiding in precariously tiny broom closets were one of the only things one could still trust to be ever present in insecure and dangerous times as these. No one knew whether they would be hit by a lethal curse once they turned around the next corner. It was possible that the next family holiday would not host all of the family members at a dining table still in one piece. In times like these, James felt like mundane things like snogging a crush should be things to focus on, things that should be in the center of everyone’s attention, at least at school, and yet....

He sighed again as he scratched his chin. This was ridiculous. _He_ was ridiculous. He was James Potter, leader of the infamous Marauders, _damn_ _it_ , not some random bloke strolling through the castle in the middle of the night like he didn’t have better things to do. He didn’t even have his invisibility cloak on him. How sad was that? Even worse, he didn’t _need_ to carry his invisibility cloak around with him. He was Head Boy, he was allowed and even supposed to roam the castle at nights in which there weren’t enough Prefects available to cover the patrols.

When Lily had told him he’d have to fill in each free patrol spot, he’d hoped it would be both of them, preferably walking hand in hand, going for a walk in the moonlight, owls hooting in the distance. The half-moon would be illuminating the corridors as they talked about everything important and unimportant that came to their minds.

Had it come to that? No.

Here he was, hand awfully empty, unable to hold its warm counterpart, slowly walking through the cold and dark corridors of a sleeping Hogwarts, wondering why, oh why, he agreed to become Head Boy. Lily, of course, was nowhere in sight. She had to cover for another Prefect who had managed to catch a cold in the middle of summer, no less. Because of that stinking Hufflepuff, he had to go through this torture alone.

It said everything that they had to go on rounds alone. The two Head students had agreed that they would split if it meant the underage Prefects could patrol in groups of two. In times like these, they were constantly in danger of being attacked, even within the halls of Hogwarts. Nobody said it out loud, but everyone knew that Lord Voldemort had started to recruit students that were still going to classes. James figured Voldy needed eyes on the inside of the school. He wanted to control not only the outside wizarding world but also everything that was under Dumbledore’s protection – Hogwarts.

The Minister might not accept that he was not the main authority figure people followed and, sometimes, even looked up to. He refused to see the danger lurking in the shadows, ever growing stronger and darker. Not even Hogwarts was safe anymore.

There was not one day when the _Daily Prophet_ didn’t write about yet another unsolvable murder, wizards and witches being kidnapped, just to be found days later – dead. At least once every two weeks Death Eaters massacred one or two Muggle families, just for the heck of it. The Dark Mark ominously hovering above their empty houses, telling everyone within the magical community to stay away from Muggles if they wanted to live.

The school year was nearly over and the seventh year students were nervous. What would come after Hogwarts? What should they do? Side with Dumbledore and get yourself and your family tortured or killed, or act as if nothing was amiss?

James ran his hand through his unruly hair, tugging at its ends. Ignoring everything that had been going on was a no-go for him. He was more than sure that he would join the Order of the Phoenix, an organisation solely existing to put an end to Voldemort before he got even more power than he already had. Even without all the deaths and disappearances in the news, he wouldn’t know what else to do but fight.

He had always imagined himself as a professional Quidditch player, but that just seemed superficial now. He was seventeen years old and totally on board with going out into the world, hoping not to die while he did his best to protect the Muggles, Muggleborns and people that he loved. Because someone had to do it!

Not all hope was lost yet! He was sure that, once many wizards and witches saw reason and joined the Order, they would stand a chance against Voldemort and his goons! His parents had once told him that if you weren’t able to see the possibilities of the future, what reason would there be to even try. So he would try. He would try and he would give all he had to end this once and for all.

He smiled softly as he stopped at one of the windows and looked over the Black Lake. It looked so peaceful - just sitting there, not one ripple disturbing its smooth surface. They would get through this. It might take some time and a lot of energy, but they would live to see better and brighter times.

Oh, what he would do to bust open a delightfully occupied broom closet right now, just to make two students jump, scream and run before he had the chance to dole out detentions, just to get his mind off the dark reality and bring some normality back....

He sighed wistfully. Hands buried deep in his school robes’ pockets, as to not concentrate on the lack of Lily’s hand in his, he turned around the corner without noticing the muffled voices ahead of him.

“I told you they see it differently.”

James froze as he heard the squeaky voice he only knew too well. “Wormy?” he muttered, eyebrows pulling together in a deep frown. What was Peter doing alone outside the tower so late after curfew?

Hazel eyes narrowed as the young Gryffindor hurriedly hid in the shadows to his right and cautiously peeked out from behind the suit of armour giving him enough coverage to not be seen.

“The Dark Lord’s orders were clear, Pettigrew,” one of the two cloaked figures looming over Peter hissed and pushed him back into the wall.

James winced as he heard the loud thud as his friend’s body collided with the hard stone.

“But I don’t know how to sway them!” Wormtail was trembling all over. His head held low, he stared at his feet. “They are very adamant in their beliefs and nothing can change that.”

“Then you haven’t tried hard enough,” the other figure growled as he grabbed Peter’s throat. The terrified Gryffindor whimpered. His hands shot up to pull the other’s away. “What do you not understand? It’s an order, Pettigrew! An order from the Dark Lord himself! You are to bring him more pureblooded recruits for his mission and there is no leeway in there, do you hear me?”

James’ eyes widened as he stood in the shadows of the suit of armour, staring at his friend and the two Death Eaters, unable to move.

“I will try to persuade them, I swear!”

“Trying isn’t enough, rat!”

The person who had spoken first pulled out his wand and shot a nonverbal curse at Wormtail, who wheezed and collapsed on the cold stone floor.

James’ muscles jerked, but he forced himself to stay where he was as the second figure bent down, grabbed Peter’s blond hair tightly and pulled him towards himself.

“You will do as you are being told, understood? We might let you roam free after this, but the Dark Lord will not show any mercy towards cowards and people who willingly disobey them.”

He pushed Peter’s head away from him, causing the boy to hit his skull against the stone floor. The first figure nodded at the second, and both strode towards James’ hiding place. The young wizard inhaled sharply and pressed himself against the wall behind the suit of armour, not daring to move a single muscle. He didn’t know _who_ they were but he knew _what_ they were and that was more than enough to stay well out of their reach.

As the two cloaked wizards turned around the corner, James jumped out of his hiding spot and ran to the whimpering bundle lying on the floor.

“Peter!” James skittered to a halt next to the slumped boy and feverishly started to check him over. “Peter, are you okay? Who was that? Why did they attack you?”

He might have heard what had been said among those three wizards just a few seconds ago, but he wanted to hear it from his friend’s mouth. He couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed. He _refused_ to accept that one of his friends might have joined the wrong side of the war.

“Peter? Talk to me, mate.”

Slowly, the blond boy picked himself up and looked at James. His eyes were red, his hands were still trembling and he was biting down on his bottom lip so violently that it was an angry red.

As James tried to help him stand, Peter shoved him away and stumbled into the wall. “You don’t need to know that, James.”

“ _What_? Yes! Yes, I do need to know what is going on. Peter, who were those people? Are you in trouble? Please, I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me!”

“I _have_ talked to you and yet you haven’t helped me. What would be so different now?” The blond glared at the brunette, daring him to answer back.

James frowned as he took in the sight before him. “What?”

“See? You don’t even remember! You have been too busy smooching Evans and running off with her to hide in whatever broom closet was free at the time and suck her disgusting face off! That isn’t normal, James! You of all people should know that. It isn’t normal!”

James’ eyes blazed dangerously. “Now, wait a second there, Peter, hold your breath, will you. First of all, don’t bring Lily into this. This is between you and me. Second of all, insult her one more time and you’ll regret it.”

“Oh, regret it, I will? What? Will you hex me? Lock me in an empty class room and sick a teacher on me? Grow up, Potter, this is so much bigger than you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you get it? A war is going on outside of these walls and we have to choose which way we want to go. Even you have to choose, James.”

The black-haired Gryffindor could see the usually shy and nervous boy in front of him change into someone he didn’t know. His pale blue eyes were glistening madly, his podgy face was pulled into a manic grin. James couldn’t do anything but stand there, shocked, and stare at the boy he had called his friend for the last seven years. His heart was hammering in his chest, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

“It’s just a matter of choosing the right side, isn’t it? Everyone needs to make sacrifices at least once in their lives. We all would make sacrifices, even big ones, if it meant that we’d survive. Say James, don’t you want to survive?”

James’ mouth opened and closed, without him being able to bring out a single word. He refused to understand what the small boy was trying to do. This wasn’t his friend. He had never known this person in front of him, nor did he have any desire getting to know him.

His hazel eyes narrowed dangerously as he continued to watch the blond boy getting more frantic with the second.

“You can come with me, James. Both you and Sirius can. He will be pleased with me and reward me and both of you can join the ranks. It is where Purebloods like you and Sirius belong, Prongs! You have to see that. It all makes sense! Both the Potters and the Blacks are honourable and old families, powerful families, yet the Potters have never tried to gain more power or use the power they already have ready at their hands. You could change that. You could change the wizarding world and help it become even greater than it already is. All you have to do is come with me. Please, James. You know that this is the only true option.”

James’ heart nearly stopped when Peter Pettigrew’s words finally forced themselves through ‘his thick skull’, as both Sirius and Lily used to call it. All blood drained from his face, his eyes were huge as they focused on what his brain now registered as a threat.

“What are you going on about, Peter? All this Pureblood supremacy? This isn’t you!” he shook his head as if there were flies annoying him.

“Yes, it is, James. It’s always been me, I just didn’t see it. I needed help to see things in the right light and people gave me the chance to become more than I was. You guys, the _Marauders_ , only held me back. I see that now,” the Gryffindor said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

James gulped.

“You don’t know what you are talking about,” he whispered. Hands raised, he took a step towards his former friend. “Please, we can help you get out of there. Nobody will force you to do anything that you don’t want to – “

“That I don’t want to do?” A laugh that sounded wrong on so many levels erupted from his mouth as Peter threw his head back. “No, you don’t get it. _This_ is what I want, James. _This_ is what I’ve chosen,” and with these words, the young man ripped his right sleeve up towards his elbow, proudly showing off a freshly tattooed Dark Mark.

James jumped back as he saw the angry red skin around the black ink. No. No, this couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be. This was _Peter_! Little Peter Pettigrew, who was always eager to pull a prank, who got detention, who rolled his eyes and laughed whenever he went on about Lily. _This_ wasn’t his Peter Pettigrew. _This_ was someone twisted, someone who was brainwashed and just not right.

“Why?” the brunette whispered as he fought against the tears that threatened to spill out of his glistening eyes. “Why would you do that?”

“Because it’s the only way.”

James slowly shook his head as he took a step back.

“Come with me, James. Come and join us.” Pettigrew took a calculated step forward, his eyes big and begging. “Our friendship doesn’t need to end like this.”

“Yes,” James clenched his jaw as he slowly pulled out his wand. “Yes, our friendship will end like this. You should know me better than to think I would become a Death Eater and kiss a bald asshole’s stinking feet. I’ve never looked good wearing skull masks, so why start now?”

It was a change as broad as day and night for the second time in ten minutes. Peter Pettigrew shrank in on himself, his eyes looked sad and the corners of his mouth turned downward. He nodded slowly as he sniffed and rubbed his trembling hand over his nose.

“I get it,” his voice was low. He sounded disappointed. “He will punish me,” Peter forced himself to smile, but it looked painful.

James steeled himself. His heart felt as if it had been ripped into two pieces, each of them desperately trying to beat in a normal rhythm, but failing to do so. It was difficult to breathe, just standing there, holding his wand and staring at the insecure boy in front of him.

Peter had always been just that – insecure. James had known that he had always been a follower, doing stuff to make others happy and himself worth being around. That he would turn his back towards people who actually liked having him around and join monsters who wouldn’t even think twice about killing him if he so much as breathed too loudly, he would never have thought. It killed him on the inside.

He couldn’t believe he had been so blind to not see how Peter had changed. To be deceived in the worst possible way hurt way more than he could have ever imagined.

The young Potter took a deep breath, which didn’t calm him whatsoever.

“That is what you chose, Peter. I cannot help you anymore,” and with that, the devastated Gryffindor turned around, having forgotten all about occupied broom closets or warm hands.

He didn’t care if he hadn’t finished his rounds yet. He didn’t care if he got in trouble for it. All he could think about was the manic grin spreading across Peter’s face as he went on and on about Pureblood supremacy and _the right cause_.

He needed Lily right now. He needed her to calm down and think. He needed her to organise his jumbled thoughts and to accept that Lord Voldemort had just killed a member of his family.


	2. Nightly Discussions

**Nightly Discussions**

A cloud covered the moon outside, oddly mirroring the happenings inside the castle.

James Potter stumbled through the corridors, wand still in hand. He didn’t know what to think. His mind was a mess, thoughts jumping in and out of it at such a rapid speed that it made him dizzy.

What just happened? _How_ did it happen? _How had he not seen it coming_? He should have seen this coming! He _would_ have seen this coming if he had not been so self-absorbed and had actually paid attention to his friend. He hadn’t even noticed Peter meeting with those people; could he really call himself a friend? A friend would be there to help whenever the other got into trouble, whatever kind of help that was. He had not been there. He hadn’t even noticed that said trouble existed!

He raised a hand to run through his hair, a nervous habit he had not yet gotten rid of, and saw that it was trembling madly. Stopping in front of a window, he looked down to his other hand, hanging at his side, his wand still clutched in it. Steam was coming out of its tip, the occasional red and yellow spark accompanying it.

Hurriedly, James moved to put the wand back into his robes, but froze at the last second. No. No, he couldn’t put his only measure of defence away. He didn’t know whether Peter had followed those two cloaked figures and had told them all about what had happened. For all he knew they could be lurking behind the next corner, waiting for him to be distracted, and ambush him.

He whirled around and stared down the dark corridor.

He wasn’t safe. Nobody was safe anymore. He was relatively sure that Peter himself wouldn’t raise his wand at him, but having just witnessed the madness in his eyes...James’ jaw clenched as he admitted to himself that he didn’t know Peter anymore. Maybe he never really had known him. He was reluctant to think about that possibility, but he was calm enough to see that it was exactly that – a possibility. Yet, he hoped that he was wrong. He wanted to believe that the friendship they had shared had been real. It had _felt_ real, and James had always been one to trust his gut feeling.

He had been right when everyone had told him Sirius Black was not to be trusted, that his entire family was filled with dark witches and wizards – he had known that Sirius was different. He had been right whenever someone had told him that he should just give up on Lily, that she hated him, and that he would never be good enough – he had persevered and now he was thinking of proposing to her.

This gut feeling told him that Peter had been a real friend. Somewhere along the way something must have happened. Something horrible must have taken place for Peter to throw away his beliefs and join the ranks of murderers. Maybe they _really_ knew something they used to blackmail him into doing their bidding? Maybe he wasn’t acting out of his own free will?

James sighed sadly and turned to look out the window. _No_ , he thought dejectedly. His gut feeling was never wrong. Peter really believed what he had chosen his way just now. He really believed he was _making a sacrifice_ and was on the right side of the war. He really, truly believed that killing Muggles and Muggleborns, kidnapping people and torturing them _was right_!

A shudder went through him, filling his veins with ice as a dark thought entered his mind. Had Peter participated in those actions? Had he been there when the Death Eaters were torturing Muggles? Had Peter _joined_ the torturing?

His throat closed off as he felt his heart break even further. He needed to get a clear head, and he needed to tell the others. They needed to know what just happened, that Peter couldn’t be trusted anymore!

He turned around and hurried down the hallway, determined to get to the common room as soon as possible. Arriving at the corner, he slowed down, took a deep breath and whirled around it, wand pointing into the empty hallway. Adrenalin was pumping through his veins, keeping him from thinking he was being ridiculous. This wasn’t ridiculous. This was dead serious and he couldn’t be cautious enough. There were Death Eaters inside the castle, and nobody knew who was hiding behind those hideous masks. Nobody but he even _knew_ that there were people running around with masks on! Did Dumbledore know? He would have to tell him very soon.

Briskly, he walked down the next few corridors, turning corners, wand firmly in his fist, and pointing down the way he needed to go.

As he turned yet another corner that would take him to the Grand Staircase, he heard muffled whispers. He froze immediately, muscles tensing as he strained his ears to determine where the noise was coming from. Was Peter not the only one having nightly meetings with Voldemort’s followers? Slowly, his head turned to the left side of the corridor, leading the way back to the Charms classroom and away from the staircase.

James took a deep breath and crept closer, wand drawn and his _Lumos_ spell cancelled. He didn’t want anyone to see him before he _wanted_ them to see him. He had been roaming the halls of Hogwarts for a few hours now, so he was fine with the sparse moonlight the clouds allowed into the castle.

“Be quiet, Micheal,” a girl giggled. James groaned loudly as he came to a stop in front of the broom closet the whispers were coming from.

With a quick twitch of his wand, the door swung open, revealing two scarcely clad students with mussed up hair and horror-widened eyes. James crossed his arms in front of his chest and tried not to get too annoyed. Death Eaters were roaming the castle’s corridors and those two thought it would be the perfect timing to get some snogging in.

“Move it,” he waved his wand and sent the couple’s clothes flying into their faces.

As the two hurriedly started to get dressed, James’ left hand reached up and massaged the bridge of his nose. His brain was having trouble comprehending all the things happening that night. It felt as if it had been last week that he had started his rounds, leaving Lily sitting at the fireplace with a quick kiss on the top of her head.

The two seemingly fifth year students scrambled past him, ties flying behind them. He didn’t feel like yelling after them or dumping a whole load of detentions on their heads. He just wanted to get out of there and back to the safety of the warm common room.

He kicked the closet door shut, and strode into the opposite direction than the students had run into. He hurried up the moving stairs, down hallways and through secret passage ways before he came to a stop in front of the Fat Lady.

James sighed and tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the fake snoring of the portrait to stop. The Fat Lady yawned loudly and stretched her arms towards her sides. “You have woken me up, young man.”

James rolled his eyes, being very well acquainted with her antics for some time now. “ _Shepherd’s Pie_ ”, the Head Boy said without reacting to the Fat Lady’s obnoxious behaviour.

The portrait narrowed her eyes and glared at the black-haired boy, clearly annoyed at being brushed off. Without deeming him a response, she huffed and swung open.

Warm light shone into the corridor as he climbed through the portrait hole into the nearly empty common room. The students had all gone to bed, except for a small group of seventh years gathered in front of the fireplace. They were huddled on the couch as well as the chairs, conversing softly.

“James!” Lily frowned slightly as she saw her boyfriend climb into the warmth of the common room. “Why are you back already? You left only three hours ago.”

James sighed tiredly and shuffled over to his friends. He motioned Remus to scoot over before he let himself fall into the soft cushions of the sofa, Lily’s hands immediately reaching for his. “I didn’t complete the rounds,” he said, and took off his glasses to rub his tired eyes.

“You didn’t....” Lily’s eyes searched his face for any signs that might tell her what was going on. “What happened?”

James put his glasses back on and looked at her before turning his gaze to the other two occupants of the room.

Sirius was lounging in the cushioned chair closest to the fire. His shiny black hair framed his handsome face in an elegantly dishevelled way that a lot of guys were jealous of. His overall appearance gave off the air of total relaxation, but his grey eyes were sharp and alert as they were fixed on his best friend.

Remus, having switched to the other chair to give James his spot next to Lily, looked more confused than anything else. His light brown hair was neatly combed, he even still had his tie wrapped around his neck, as he slowly put down the book he and Lily had looked at before James had come back. “What is it, James?”

The Head Boy scratched his neck, not really knowing where and how to begin.

“It’s Peter.”

His friends blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”

James looked at Remus and took a deep breath. “I guess I’ll just start at the beginning,” he let go of Lily’s hand and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “I was doing my rounds when I heard voices from one of the corridors up ahead. Well, I only really noticed them when I was already standing in that corridor,” he added quietly, and ignored the amused snort coming from Sirius’ direction.

“There were three figures talking to each other, so I hid behind a set of armour, so I could make sure no one was in trouble.”

“Of course that was your intention,” Remus smirked, but shut up as soon as James’ glare hit him.

“As I said, there were three figures,” James continued, pushing both hands through his hair and gripping it, holding his head in a bowed, somewhat defeated position. “It was Peter and two guys in black cloaks. They had their hoods up, so I couldn’t make out who they were, but they weren’t just chatting with Peter.”

He shook his head and sat back up. “One of them sent a non-verbal curse Peter’s way that had him collapse and cry out in pain. They kept going on about Peter having orders he failed to follow and that he should try harder to please _him_. I didn’t know what they were talking about, but I also didn’t want to jump out and ask as the whole scene had a bad taste to it. So I waited until they left and hurried over to Peter to see whether he was alright.

“He said he was fine, that nothing had really happened, which was obviously a lie. Those two hooded figures had been cursing him, so I thought that maybe he’s in some sort of trouble.... And I guess he really is. When I asked him how I could help he.... changed.”

James frowned and looked at his hands, not really knowing how to describe the feeling that had flooded him as he had seen Peter’s cold, mad eyes stare back at him.

“What do you mean – he changed?” Remus asked, as he sat rod-straight in his chair, not daring to move. The others just continued to watch James struggle with himself, not wanting to interrupt the inner war he was currently fighting.

“He.... he started talking about how Sirius and I could help him,” James gestured to the other boy, whose eyebrows shot up almost instantly. “How we could become more than we are and use our family’s names as a way to lead the wizarding world to glory.”

His dark eyebrows drew together, as he looked at Sirius. “He said that the Purebloods should do what is right and join the ranks of Voldemort.”

Shocked silence followed the statement as the friends stared at James, eyes wide and mouths hanging open.

“He said what?” Lily’s quiet voice broke the silence.

James hated to see her like this – insecure, scared and betrayed. All he wanted for her was happiness without having to constantly look over her own shoulder, having to fear that yet another friend decided to turn against what and who she was.

Voldemort had already taken her formerly best friend from her, and no matter how much he despised Severus Snape, he couldn’t help but hate the dark wizard for taking away her childhood friend. But apparently, Voldemort hadn’t stopped there – ripping apart one friendship hadn’t been enough. However, he had done so, he had managed to get Peter to exploit their friendship and join his ranks of murderers.

A sigh escaped James as he nodded. He looked into Lily’s sad eyes and saw not only fear for herself but fear for their future shining in their depths. She had understood what this new development meant. They couldn’t trust anyone anymore. They didn’t know who would betray them next, they didn’t know who might want to destroy their lives at the next corner.

Lily was a Muggleborn, unworthy of magic according to the supremacists, and James was a blood traitor, a Pureblood who had chosen to be together with an impure person. But not only that – James was the sole heir of one of the oldest Pureblood lines in the wizarding world. Having him and the power of his name on their side would help the Death Eaters a great deal. No, they weren’t safe anymore. They would both be on Voldemort’s hit list if their names weren’t on there already.

“Wait a second,” Remus looked at James, who was holding onto Lily’s hand again, giving her strength that he himself wasn’t feeling. “He said that you guys should join Who-Know-Who?” Remus frowned, too confused to understand what his friend had just told them.

It didn’t make sense. Nothing of what was being said made sense. Peter was... well, he was _Peter_! Shy, insecure, sweet little Peter who loved playing pranks on Slytherins, and sneaked into the kitchens after curfew to get hot chocolate and cookies. It was impossible that Peter...

“I was there, Remus,” James said patiently, as the werewolf had voiced his doubts. “He really said those things, even after being hurt by his Death Eater friends for not following Voldemort’s orders.”

Remus shook his head, clearly having difficulties to comprehend what was being said. “Maybe he was under the Imperius Curse? I mean, maybe it wasn’t truly him speaking but –“

“Remus, I saw Peter say those things. It wasn’t the Imperius Curse. He really _believed_ what he was saying. There was this manic gleam in his eyes as he went on and on about the right cause and how he would make the world a better place. Wouldn’t you think if he had been cursed, the caster would have made it less obvious that he was trying to recruit me?

“He literally switched between moods so rapidly, it was making me dizzy! He was embarrassed at first for having me find him crumpled on the floor, caught off guard for having been seen conversing with Death Eaters. Then he got into a sort of manic trance gushing about good old Voldy and his goons, about all the _good_ stuff they were doing and how they were leading the wizarding community to its former glory. When he noticed that he couldn’t get me to buy his shit, he slumped in on himself, mumbling something about how he would be punished for not succeeding.

 _“He let me go_ , Moony. He just stood there and looked at his feet, being all sad, as I turned around and left him to his own demise. Someone under the Imperius Curse would have acted a whole lot differently, don’t you think? No, Peter really believed what he said. He really believes that joining the ranks of Voldemort’s Death Eaters, ridding the world of Muggles and Muggleborns, is the right and _only_ way to go. He chose his side.”

Nobody knew what to say after that rant. It was hard to believe that sweet Peter had gone the way everyone had sworn off of. He had not only chosen a future of constant pain and fear, but had thus also communicated that killing of Muggleborns like Lily or half-bloods and magical creatures like Remus was _okay_ , that it was _right_. That he thought that all of those slaughtered Muggles stripped to their underwear dangling off their ceilings or nearby trees, all those kidnapped children of powerful members of society... that all those actions were justifiable for the cause.

Peter actually believed and wanted to follow a _murderer_ , a kidnapper, a torturer, and no one would be surprised if Voldemort went around raping his female followers as well. They would probably feel honoured to have their bodies used like that.

The group of seventeen year old students felt sick to the stomach. Lily’s breathing was shallow as she stared into the flames and desperately held onto her boyfriend’s hand with both of hers. She wouldn’t let him leave her tonight. She didn’t care if she had to sleep in the boys’ dorm or on the couch she was currently perching on. She didn’t want to be alone tonight, her mind haunting her with images of a smiling Peter.

Sirius had yet to say anything during the discussion they were having. He was still lounging in his chair, one leg dangling off an arm rest, his bright eyes following James’ every move. They hadn’t left their subject of interest ever since he had stumbled through the portrait hole an hour ago. On the outside, he looked oddly calm, in total control of himself, his features portraying a tranquility that he did not feel.

After what felt like a long time, a loud curse shattered the silence. “ _Bullshit_!”

The other three jumped as Sirius catapulted himself off his chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest as he scrutinised his friends. “That’s complete and utter _bullshit_!”

“Mate,” James frowned at his brother in everything but blood. His grey eyes were gleaming with something he couldn’t quite define.

“That’s not our friend. _Our_ Peter wouldn’t do something like that,” Sirius tried his best to keep his voice strong and determined, but failed miserably. He clenched his teeth and forced himself to stay calm. “Our friend would never betray us like that. To think that he actually assumed both you and I would join?” He gestured to James, hands trembling.

“Completely ridiculous. He must’ve lost his mind! He was there when I told you guys how it was back _home_ ,” he scoffed at the last word, ridiculing its meaning. “Granted, I didn’t tell him everything, but he knows enough. For him to actually believe that trying to get us to see his side of the medallion is so insane, it can’t be our Pete anymore. It just can’t be.”

Sirius pushed his hand through his long hair, a gesture he had started to develop after getting to know James. “To... to actually think that what they are doing, what _he_ is doing is the right thing...”

He shook his head, his voice growing quieter as his eyes jumped restlessly from his friends, who were all watching him worriedly, to the carpet, and back again. “What he says with that behaviour is that he agrees with my parents – with their way of seeing the world. Slaughtering Muggles? Totally fine. Kidnapping Muggleborns? Yeah, why not? Casting the Cruciatus Curse on your own children to get them to shut up at the dinner table?”

Lily gasped, her free hand jumped up to cover her mouth. James squeezed the one he was holding, keeping a close eye on his friend, who was slowly losing control of his emotions.

“Entirely acceptable and the most reasonable thing to do.” Sirius shrugged as he aggressively wiped a lone tear away that was slowly making its way down his pale cheek. “He was there when you found the scars,” he gestured to James. “He was there when you found the bruises at the beginning of every term,” a trembling hand pointed to Remus, who looked at his friend with so much pain in his eyes that Lily had to bite her lip in order to keep from crying.

“He was there for every little conversation you guys forced onto me. He was there to see what the people that called themselves my parents had done to me, he knew what they had done to Regulus! For him to just look over everything, to accept and support it... no, that’s not a friend. He is no better than the ones that the Order throws into Azkaban. He’s no better than the ones behind those skull masks that dress up to play ‘Torture And Kill.’”

Nobody knew what to reply to that outburst of emotions. James had known everything and more of what his friend had just thrown their way. Sirius had told him every single detail of his home life when he had knocked on his door during the last summer break. It had been a very draining and exhausting afternoon that had ended with James hurrying into the kitchen and hugging his parents, telling them how much he appreciated everything they had done for him and how much he loved them.

The Potters had only needed one glance at their distraught son in order to understand what had happened. Without any questions or inquiries, his father had marched up the stairs and straight into his son’s room. He had motioned the tired Sirius to follow him downstairs, where Mrs Potter had pulled him into a hug so tight and full of love that Sirius had broken down once again. He hadn’t known he had had enough tears left to spend, but as they had kept falling, his body wracked with sobs, he had had to admit that he was more broken than he had originally thought.

Thinking back to that day now, James stood up, walked over to where his brother was twitching nervously, and pulled him into a tight hug. He needed him to know that the terrors of his childhood lay in the past, that he now had a home he could feel safe and loved in, that he now had people who would leave everything behind just to make sure that he was alright. He needed him to know, and as Sirius’ arms wrapped around his back just as tightly, he knew that his brother had understood. It was a hug so raw that James could very nearly hear the deep and honest _Thank You_ that it conveyed.

“We will make sure that stuff like that will stop in the future,” Lily’s determined voice travelled through the silent room.

Remus looked from his two best friends to the only other person outside his little chosen family that had accepted him for what he was. Her green eyes were filled with unshed tears, her rosy cheeks wet from crying softly for Sirius still halfway wrapped in James’ hug. A hopeful, yet sad smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he understood what she was saying.

“We will make sure that children won’t have to feel anxious when the holidays start. We will make sure that Muggleborns will be able to walk through dark alleyways without having to fear for an ambush. We will make sure that cursed people will get jobs just like everybody else, without being shunned for something that’s out of their control. We will make sure that people like Bellatrix, Lucius, or Peter,” her voice broke off as she said the name of her former friend, “won’t be able to hurt anyone anymore.”

Her eyes sparkled with new determination as she blinked the last tears away. They fell onto her cheeks, but she didn’t spare them a second thought.

“We will make this world a better place not just for us but for everyone and every generation that is yet to come! And we will fight Voldemort! We will fight his Death Eaters and we will fight for what is right! The Order of the Phoenix is an organisation that Dumbledore founded seven years ago to do just that. I know it’ll be dangerous and I know it won’t be easy, but it will be necessary to keep people like Peter from ripping families apart and ending lives.”

She looked from a now grinning Remus to the other two boys still standing next to each other in front of the fireplace.

Sirius’ eyes were wide, his mouth gaping as he looked at her as if she had grown a new set of eyebrows in the middle of her forehead. He was filled with awe and a little bit of fear as he stared at this wonderful and talented witch, looking at him with such determination and _love_ that he didn’t know what to do with himself.

 _Yes_ , he thought, feeling James slowly detaching himself from him. _Yes, we will do all of that and so much more!_

“Lils,” James shook his head, and slowly walked to the couch, where he fell onto his knees in front of his girlfriend. “You are truly incredible and I love you for that!”

Sirius’ bark of laughter broke the intense emotional tension in the room as Lily’s eyes widened impossibly. Remus facepalmed himself, shaking his head and snickering into his hand to muffle the sound.

Her red lips opened and closed as she blinked owlishly at the now furiously blushing James still kneeling in front of her. “You...”

“Smooth, Prongsy. Very smooth.” James couldn’t even make himself to glare at Sirius. His heart was pounding erratically in his chest, and he felt lightheaded. All he could do was sit there and hope in the name of Merlin himself that this wonderful, beautiful, intelligent and scary woman would not laugh at him, slap him, call him an idiot, and leave his life for good.

“I love you too,” Lily didn’t care anymore. The tears were now openly streaming down her face, happy sobs escaping her lips. James couldn’t comprehend what was happening until she threw herself into his arms and started to kiss his neck, cheek, hair, and ruin his impeccable white button-down with her mascara-soiled tears.

Black, wet patches covered the collar region of his shirt as Lily pulled out of his arms. He blinked at the now beet-red and grinning girl in front of him, and his brain started to catch up.

“Wait,” he said slowly, pointing at his dream girl and raising his eyebrows. “You love me?”

A wet laugh erupted from Lily, filling the room with so much light that James had to swallow to not burst into tears as well. “You sweet, sweet idiot,” she smiled softly, and cradled his cheeks in her palms. “Yes. Yes, I love you, James. I love you, I love you, _I love you_!”

Her grinning lips crashed onto his, kissing him with so much love and happiness that he nearly passed out.

“And that is what we are fighting for,” Remus exclaimed happily, as Lily let go as James, leaving him slightly dazed. “That right there! It is so important that we don’t lose sight of what really matters. Sure, we may have lost a friend today because I honestly prefer thinking he’s been killed by Death Eaters than even considering that he’s joined them. But the fact that even in times like these love is still so powerful that it can chase away everything negative happening is truly amazing and something that we have to hold onto.”

Sirius’ smile turned pensive, his eyes taking on a look people weren’t used from him. “Remus is right,” he said after a while of quiet contemplation. “Yeah, Peter is gone. To be honest, I have no idea how I will react once he dares to set a foot into our dorm room. For the record, I don’t want any of you dolts to take away my wand as a precaution. I’d rather get a life worth of detention for hexing one of Baldy’s shoe lickers than just stand there and glare at him until he bursts out crying.”

James snickered but stopped immediately as Lily hit him in the arm. Seeing this exchange, Sirius smirked widely.

“And now, seeing Prongs being henpecked is something that I would never have thought to be so enjoyable.”

“Prick.”

“But apart from all that,” Sirius’ smile vanished, and a serious and dark expression took its place. “We will do everything in our power to make sure that the world will be a better place. That journey will be without Wormtail, but we will still have each other. You guys are my family and I will do _everything_ that I can to protect that.

“And,” he turned to the couple sitting on the couch, “I want to be little Prongslet’s Godfather, or so help me Merlin!”

  
  



End file.
